Synthetic lubricant



Patented Mar. 4, 1952 N g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE T f SYNTHETIC LUBRICANT Erving Arundale, Westfield, and John P. Thorn, Cranford, N. J., assignors to Standard Oil De velopmentCompany, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 22, 1950,

, Serial No. 202,438

" 2 Claims (Cl. 260-485) 1 a a 2 This invention relates to a new chemical comample, a similar ester prepared by the use 'of pound which has been found to be particularly caprylic acid instead of butyric acid in the partial suitable for use as a synthetic lubricant. esterification was found to possess a much lower Recently, in an effort to obtain superior lubrl viscosity index. cantsendowed with specificand superior char- 5 In the preparation of the above described com acteristics, a new field has been explored, namely, plex ester, pentaglyc'erol' was first formed by the synthesis of lubricants from various organic reacting propionaldehyde with formaldehyde and chemical materials. Esters represent one class sodium hydroxide in accordance with the follow of materials which have attracted unusual intering equation:

est as-synthetic lubricants. In general, they are 1 OHSCECHO mom) NaOH characterized by higher viscosity 'indices and GHOH lower pour points than mineral oils of corresponding viscosity. The compound described in CHOH HCOON the present "specification is an ester which has z been found to possess a very high viscosity, high 15 This compound is Well known in the art The Vlscoslty index and Ia 10w Pour point- A 1ubfi"l pentaglycerol was then partially esterified with cant Which posssse such proPerties Special n-butyric acid by reacting two mols of the latter Value m the lubncatlqnof engines Whlch are sub-Y with one mol of the pentaglycerol under esterifyjected to high temperatures, such as-combustion m conditions, t s in equipment which turbine engines particularly those of the vides for the removal of water as it is formed. j Mm Q lubricants containing The resulting partial ester, containing a single added Vlscoslty Index lmpmvers" thlckeners, hydroxyl group, was then reacted with adipic acid other higher non-volatile additives are undesirin the proportion f two mols of the partial ester able for use in such' engines because of the tendfor each mol f adipic acid, also under est rify ency to leave a residue which accumulates and ing conditions. The two esterification steps are interferes with the operation of .the engine. A shown in the following equations: synthetic lubricant of the type described in the CHZOH present specification is especially adapted for use under such conditions, since the lubricant con- CHTTCHOH tains no additives and thus tends to leave no 30 I E CH OOOCH residue upon volatilization.

The new compound of the present invention, 25,0

which has been found to be particularly suitable 3,03

omooccner, on, on, zone-(5 0111000 C.-,H1 nooowmncoon 0,1110 oooma-cmooc onoiooocnr-acmoocclm 211,0 2120B 7 03111000 H: HIOOCCSHI for use as a lubricating oil, is a complex ester Details of preparing the pentaglycerol and the prepared by first esterifying two hydroxyl groups complex ester are given below. of pentaglycerol with n-butyric acid and then fully esterifying adipic acid with this partial bum pentaglycml tyrate ester of pentaglycerol. The resulting com- 203 g. (3.5 mols) of propionaldehyde and 854 plex ester has the following composition: g. of 37% aqueous formaldehyde (formalin) soi! 11 11 ii CHQCHgCHaCOCH:( J-CHQOC(CH )4COCH1 CHIOCCHICHICH} i a CHaCHzCH'aCOCH: H2OCCH2CH2CH This ester possesses a very high viscosity, high lution (10.5 mols) were mixed and cooled to 5 C. viscosity index, and low pour point and appears 140 g. (3.5 mols) of flake sodium hydroxide was to be unique in having all of these properties then added in small increments over a period of as compared with other similar esters. For ex- 55 40 minutes, the temperature being maintained at The residue was dissolved in 300 cc. of absolute n ethanol, warmed, filtered and the filtrate allowed to crystallize in an ice bath. The product,after" recrystallization from absolute ethanol, had: .a

melting point of 110-145 C. andishowed thefole lowing analysis: 1

Found Theory Per cent -Pei' mm Carbon 49. 95 50.0 Hydrogen 10. 21 10.0 Pentaglycorol content- 2 98: 1'? 100:0.

1 Determined, by'hydrolyzingacetic anhydride witlxtlie productx 1 Pure.

Preparation of I pen'taglycerolbutyrateeadipatet 25 mixed ester.

48 g. (0.4moll ofpentaglycerol,70A g. (0.8

mol) of n-butyric acid. 100 g. of toluene, and 0.7

After neutralization of the batch with carbonate solution and subsequently with water. After water washing the toluene solution was heated to the boiling point to remove water, filtered, and the toluene removed from the filtrate by vacuum stripping to C. at 5 mm. pressure. The mixed 'ester was found to possess the following properties: 1

Pour point (ASTM), F 50 Flash point, F 420 Kinematic viscosity (0 e n ti s t o k e s at 1-00- It); 161.2 Kinematic -viscosity .(c en t i s t o k e s at 210 F.) 31.54 Viscosity index ,(Dean and Davis) 144 Theabovedata-indicate that the ester, constitutingthe subject matter of the present inventi0n,:=possesses characteristics, particularly with regard to viscosity, viscosity index, and pour point,-. which indicate its suitability :forgeneraf useas a'lubricatingi oil' and particularlyrfor use-cal where the utilization of additives isnotdesirable; The ester. may-'alsobeblended with mineralrlu-i bricating oil to give lubricants of improvedviscosity index and pour point.

What.is claimed is: 1. Thecompound having the formula g. of prtoluenesulfoniciacid were placed in aglass 2 reactor equipped-withz-a reflux condenser-and...

water.;'trap. g-fI'he batch wasthen heated under;

2. The process which 'comprisessesterifyingtone .1;

molecular proportion of I pentaglycerol- .with two" molecular proportions :of. n-butyric'acid to form reflux-:;,f0.r..,53 hoursrand the :water removed=as o a partial ester :of pentaglycerol',;and'thereafterI:

formed. The contents: of thereactoriwas. thencooled, 29.2 g. ('0.2-mol) 0f adipiciacid and: 0.2 g. of p.-toluenesulfonic;acid added, and the mix.- tureyheatedlunder reflux for-316 hours, the by-,

product water again being;- removedas .formed; Thesolutionof the-desired mixed esterin toluene was cooled, washed. with a;5% aqueous sodiumbiesterifying -one" molecular proportion of adiplc 1 acid with two molecular proportions of saidpar tial'esterof pentaglycerol. i ERVING' AJRUNDALE.v JOHN-P. THORN;

No referencexcitedipa' 

1. THE COMPOUND HAVING THE FORMULA 